Classroom Stuttering Lesson Plan
Stuttering Foundation of America Educates Teachers
Stuttering Foundation of America is a great place to explore the issue of stuttering. Teachers can use this resource to educate themselves and others on the issue.
What is Stuttering?
Stuttering is the disruption in the flow of speech. A child who stutters may repeat, prolong or omit certain letters, syllables or words.
Who Stutters?
People from all over the world stutter, but boys have a greater propensity to stutter. Approximately 3 million people stutter in the U.S according to the Stuttering Foundation of America. Famous people such as Tiger Woods, Bruce Willis, and James Earl Jones.
Identifying a Child Who Stutters
Stuttering takes many forms and some are normal language development. The teacher resource page at the Stuttering Foundation of America provides teachers information about normal disfluencies or stuttering. The Stuttering Foundation of America has provided guidelines, but it is best to refer to the school's administration for referring a student to a certified speech-language pathologist and informing parents. The chart simply outlines scenarios for stuttering versus speech disfluencies.
Teacher Accommodations
Accommodations for a child who stutters varies, it should be based on an individual basis. Stuttering Foundation of America provides simple strategies for students to achieve success in the classroom. As well, it is best to talk to the student, parents, and speech language pathologist for the strategies and tips for the student.
Stuttering Education for Kids
If a student has a moderate stutter and it is affecting his education on a social and/or academic level, it may be best to educate students about stuttering. Often it is ignorance that makes others tease a child that is different and it is important to teach students that everyone has differences that makes them unique.
Stuttering Lesson Plans
The Stuttering Homepage, created by Judith Maginnis Kuster and maintained at Minnesota State University, is an excellent resource on stuttering. The site has an exemplary Just for Kids resource on stuttering that uses kid friendly language and activities. A teacher will have plenty of lessons and ideas to inform her students about stuttering.
Place pictures of famous stutterers on the board and ask students what they have in common. Students can brainstorm for several minutes, then write the word stutter on the board. Ask students what stuttering is and to act it out? Many students may feel uncomfortable, so the teacher or the child with the stutter may demonstrate with an over the top example. Teacher, speech language pathologist, student who stutters, or a combination of all may begin the lesson on stuttering. The lesson will be geared for the age level of students.
Just for Kids Stuttering Page gives suggest children book that deal with the issue on stuttering and provides video clips of famous people who stutter. The Just for Kids site is filled with games to test students knowledge on stuttering. Teacher may have the class participate in the trivia game by dividing the class into groups. As well, there are coloring pages to inform students what the student who stutters would want from them. The site has many ideas and tips to inform on this delicate matter.
Stuttering and Teasing
Teasing is inevitable in childhood, and as much as teachers would like it to cease, it still continues. The best way to reduce teasing is to inform students on the issue and have fellow students feel what the teased student feels. No student can understand what it feels like to stutter unless he stutters, but all students knows what it feels like to be teased. Role play different teasing scenarios that occurred in the classroom and have students play the part of the teaser and the one being teased.
After this lesson, some children will refrain from teasing but others will not. It is important to continue role playing on teasing and to set up parameters for a safe learning environment and that includes no teasing in the classroom or on the school yard. As well, teach students how to ignore teasing with strategies to boost their self esteem without fighting back.
